Four-time European champions Ajax Amsterdam find themselves among the pre-qualifiers for the Champions League this year as Dutch football pays the price for its declining record in continental competition.
Ajax Amsterdam produced a performance worthy of the club's illustrious past when they crushed Olympique Lyonnais 4-1 on Wednesday to move to the brink of their first European final since 1996.
Former European Cup winners Celtic and Ajax Amsterdam safely negotiated tricky Champions League third-round qualifying ties on Wednesday to move one step away from the lucrative group stage.
Ajax Amsterdam were held to a goalless draw by Heerenveen on Friday and lost contact with the top of the first division.
Frank de Boer ruled out accepting the Tottenham Hotspur job again on Friday, saying he was satisfied with his post at Ajax Amsterdam.
Holders Real Madrid were sensationally knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday after being thrashed 4-1 at home by an outstanding Ajax Amsterdam who overturned a first-leg deficit to reach the quarter-finals 5-3 on aggregate.
The win leaves United in 15th place in the Europa League standings on six points from four games.
Ajax Amsterdam's Urby Emanuelson broke the hearts of second division Dordrecht by curling home a freekick in the final minute of extra time to secure a 2-1 win in their Dutch Cup third round tie on Thursday.
Ajax Amsterdam have appointed Martin Jol as their head coach on a three-year contract, the Dutch club said on Tuesday.
Barcelona need to avoid getting sucked into the Spanish obsession with El Clasico when they face Ajax Amsterdam in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Jon Dahl Tomasson converted an 86th-minute penalty to salvage a point for Feyenoord in a 2-2 draw against arch rivals Ajax Amsterdam in the Dutch league on Sunday.
Ajax Amsterdam's Netherlands defender John Heitinga has agreed to sign a five-year deal with Atletico Madrid, he told Tuesday's De Telegraaf newspaper.
Netherlands coach Marco van Basten has signed a four-year deal to become manager of Ajax Amsterdam, the Dutch club said on Friday.
PSV Eindhoven midfielders Balazs Dzsudzsak and Otman Bakkal scored a goal apiece to give the Dutch league leaders a 2-0 victory at Ajax Amsterdam on Wednesday.
Lazio, who had won all four previous games, were held to a frustrating scoreless draw by a Bulgarian side who came to defend.
Ajax Amsterdam registered a 4-1 win at De Graafschap, their first title since 2014 and a record-extending 34th overall completed the double after they won the KNVB Cup earlier this month.
Ajax Amsterdam have suspended their captain Luis Suarez for two matches after he bit PSV Eindhoven's Otman Bakkal on the shoulder during their 0-0 draw on Saturday.
Images from the UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg matches played on Wednesday
Qarabag had chances, Tural Baymarov missing from the penalty spot just before the hour mark and Junior hitting the woodwork, but Spurs stayed in control of the match.
Inter Milan staged a fierce second-half fightback to draw 2-2 at Ajax Amsterdam.
Greece striker Angelos Haristeas has joined Ajax Amsterdam from Werder Bremen, the Dutch club said on Friday.
Visitors Ajax had looked comfortable after former Southampton winger Tadic set up the first goal with a swerving cross before drilling home the second himself.
Ajax, four-times European Cup winners who are in the knockout stages for the first time in 13 years, have enhanced their reputation as a talent factory due to the rise of homegrown Dutch players Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt.
Ajax were joined by Young Boys, who stunned Dinamo Zagreb 2-1 away for a 3-2 aggregate win over the Croatians, and AEK Athens who scraped a 1-1 home draw with FC Vidi after a 2-1 win in the first leg in Hungary.
Ajax Amsterdam scored after 72 seconds and added a second goal near the end to inflict a 2-0 home defeat on champions PSV Eindhoven and take over the lead of the Dutch league.
Ajax said in a statement that assistant trainers Ruud Krol and Tonny Bruins Slot would run the team while the club looked for a replacement.
Ajax Amsterdam confirmed on Tuesday they are in talks with Real Madrid about the transfer of striker Klaas Jan Huntelaar but said no deal had yet been agreed.
Former European champions Ajax Amsterdam made a shock exit from the UEFA Cup on Thursday after a 3-2 home defeat by Dinamo Zagreb gave the Croatians victory on the away goals rule.
Four-time European champions Ajax Amsterdam were knocked out of the Champions League in the third qualifying round on Tuesday after a dramatic 3-2 defeat at home to unsung Rapid Vienna.
Davy Klaassen scored twice as Ajax Amsterdam trounced SC Cambuur 5-1 to extend their lead at the top of the Dutch league on Saturday as second-placed PSV were held to a draw.
Liverpool and Ajax Amsterdam, who have won the European Cup nine times between them, failed to reach the quarter-finals of the Europa League after making embarrassing exits from the competition on Thursday.
The world celebrated Mother's Day on Sunday but Ajax players did it in style.
European football was given good and bad reminders of its past on Thursday with an impressive 2-0 win for once-mighty Ajax Amsterdam over Schalke 04 in one Europa League game but ugly scenes in the crowd at Lyon delaying another.
Feyenoord got the win they needed, a 3-1 home success over Wisla Krakow in Group E which ended the Polish side's interest in the tournament.
The two clubs reached agreement on Monday after Cate asked Ajax to negotiate with the English club.
PSV Eindhoven scored three second-half goals to beat Ajax Amsterdam 4-3 in a thrilling match and hand Martin Jol's team their first defeat of the Dutch league season on Sunday.
Luuk de Jong's early goal set PSV Eindhoven on their way to a 3-1 victory at Excelsior in the Dutch league that moved them to within one point of leaders Ajax Amsterdam
Striker Luis Suarez scored one goal and missed two second-half penalties as Ajax Amsterdam beat nine-man FC Timisoara 2-1 in Romania on Wednesday to reach the knockout stage of the Europa League.
Ajax closed the gap with Dutch league leaders Twente Enschede to one point after Luis Suarez and Marko Pantelic earned them a 2-0 win at struggling Willem II Tilburg on Wednesday.
Images from the Champions League matches played on Wednesday
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